An Afternoon of Music by Polish-Canadian artists including performances by:

• Leonard Gilbert, pianist

First Prize Winner of The Canadian Chopin Piano Competition

• Amadeusz Kazubowski-Houston, pianist

Third Prize Winner of the Junior Division of The Canadian Chopin Piano Competition

• Margaret Maye, mezzo-soprano

• Kinga Mitrowska, soprano and students

• Michele Bogdanowicz, mezzo-soprano

Performing a song cycle by Polish-Canadian composer Norbert Palej

• Joanna Gorska, violinist

• Dobrochna Zubek, cellist

• Kornel Wolak, clarinetist

GALLERY TOUR: EUROPE

Level 3, Samuel European Galleries

The rich history of Europe will be brought to life!

The ROM's renowned European collections bear witness to the legacy of European style with objects prized for their beauty, rarity, and cultural importance. An entire wing in the gallery is dedicated to displays that provide a context for specialized collections themed to Culture & Context, Judaica, Art Deco and a ROM favourite – Arms and Armour.

GALLERY TOUR: EGYPT

Level 3, Galleries of Africa: Egypt

Discover the work of Polish archaeologists and the secrets of the temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahri!

The gallery showcases rare and exceptional objects from the ROM's Egyptian collection – the most important Egyptian collection in Canada.

ARTIFACTS: EUROPE

Level 3, Samuel European Galleries

Don't miss a touch table of European artifacts. Enjoy a hands-on experience and hear the stories from our ROM Gallery Interpreters that make history come to life. Look for the red lab coats!

ART DISPLAY

Level 3, Samuel European Galleries

Exhibit of Icons by Janusz Charczuk

Janusz Charczuk was born in Poland where he earned a Master's degree in Architecture and Urban Planning from the Technical University of Gdansk. His fascination with iconography materialized years ago, when he began to study tempera icon painting. Janusz has discovered a way of connecting his spiritual journey with an art of icon painting. Find out more about Janusz Charczuk HERE.

Visit the Joey and Toby Tanenbaum Gallery of Byzantium to see the ROM's collection of Icons!

AUTHOR READING SERIES

Level B1, Eaton Theatre

Andrew J. Borkowski

Copernicus Avenue

Andrew J. Borkowski’s short story collection Copernicus Avenue, set in Toronto’s post-war Polish community, won the 2012 Toronto Book Award and was shortlisted for the 2012 Danuta Gleed Literary Award for short fiction. His short story “Twelve Versions of Lech” was a finalist for the 2007 Writer’s Trust/McClelland and Stewart Journey Prize. Andrew’s arts and human interest journalism has appeared in the Globe and Mail, the Canadian Forum, Quill & Quire, TV Guide, and the Los Angeles Times.

Eva Stachniak

The Winter Palace

Eva Stachniak’s novel The Winter Palace is based on the early life of Catherine the Great, has been a bestseller in Canada, Poland and Germany. Eva was born and raised in Wrocław, Poland. It is in Canada that she became a writer. Her first short story, Marble Heroes, was published by the Antigonish Review in 1994, and her debut novel, Necessary Lies, won the Amazon.com/Books in CanadaFirst Novel Award in 2000.

BOOK SIGNING

Level B1, Eaton Theatre Rotunda

Join authors Andrew J. Borkowski, Copernicus Avenue, and Eva Stachniak, The Winter Palace, for a special book signing. Authors' books will be available for purchase in the Theatre Rotunda courtesy of ROM Museum Store.

The Polish Kashub Heritage Museum in Wilno, Ontario, features the recovered craft of Kashubian Embroidery with colourful examples and demonstrations.

Renfrew County is Canada's Polish Kashub Heartland with Wilno being the centre. Wilno is Canada's First Polish Settlement. The Polish Kashub Heritage Museum was built by the Wilno Heritage Society and descendants & friends of the Polish Kashub people in Canada.

Dedicated to the hardworking Polish Kashub pioneers and celebrates their unqiue cultural heritage. For more info, visit www.wilno.org.

In the Footsteps of Polish Pioneers in Western Canada by Lech, Grazyna Galezowski. This exhibit captures a disappearing history through old and new photographs. The exhibit aims to resurrect and preserve the history of Polish Pioneers for future generations.

POLISH HERITAGE DAY

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Royal Ontario Museum

Janusz Charczuk, Iconographer

The Krakowiak is the most recognizable of Poland's five national dances and its many folk costumes.

The Devil's Violin

KIDS CRAFTS

Level 1, Queen's Park Rotunda

Families can celebrate Polish heritage together with a traditional Polish craft! Learn how to make Pisanka, a Polish Easter egg.

Generously supported and organized by various troops of the Polish Scouting Association in Canada. More information about the PSA can be found at www.zhpkanada.ca.

AT RIGHT: An eagle's eye-view of Polish scouts helping children make pisanki.

• Polish Spirit Exhibit

Discover the achievements of Canadians of Polish descent in the Arts presented by The Polish Women's Federation in Canada.

• Exhibit of Sculptures by Wojtek Biczysko

Wojtek Biczysko was born in Sopot, Poland. He studied architecture at the Technical University of Gdansk and sculpture at the Gdansk Academy of Fine Arts. He left Poland in 1989 but kept his connections with the Polish art scene. He continues to master his own technique of direct modelling in steel - what he refers to as "a welder's nightmare."

• Exhibit of Sculptures and Painting by Ania Biczysko

Ania Biczysko is a Polish-Canadian artist whose work has been exhibited internationally including Canada, Monaco, Norway, Poland, and the USA. Ania has a BFA and MFA from the Academy of Fine Arts, Gdansk, Poland. Ania has worked on the environment design of several exhibitions at the ROM including the Vatican exhibition, Ancient Peru Unearthed and Shapeshifters.

Joanna Dabrowski was born in Poland and has an MFA from the Faculty of Painting and Sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdansk. ). Joanna studied theatre arts working at the Baltic State Opera, Theatre Humbug, Theatre “Ñ”, Theatre Miniature in Gdansk and the State Puppet Theatre in Olsztyn. Joanna has been working as a set and costume designer for theatre and film production.

• Exhibit of Paintings by Iwona Dufaj

Iwona Dufaj has developed her own exclusive technique using a combination of Venetian plaster, linseed oil and oil paint on canvas. Dufaj is the recipient of a distinguished award of excellence from the Art gallery of Clarington and People’s Choice award from Station Gallery.

Totem "Pole"

Face Painting à la Kashub

• Exhibit of Paintings by Marzena Kotapska

Marzena Kotapska studied at The High School of Art and Design in Poznan, Poland, where she obtained Diploma in Exhibition Design and Commercial Display. She then completed the Bachelor of Fine Art Program at the Ontario College of Art and Design. According to the artist, “The arts have always been part of my life, and painting as a practice has always been present in my everyday life. I believe in traditional skills: drawing, composition, use of colours. Techniques are vital, like knowing the language.”

• Exhibit of Sculptures by Wojciech Macherzynski

Wojciech Macherzynski is a Polish born painter, muralist, printmaker & sculptor living in Canada since 1994. A graduate of Jan Matejko University of Fine Arts in Cracow - Poland with MFA Degree in 1986. Macherzynski’s international award winning approach to visual arts is recognized throughout Europe and America

• Exhibit of Paintings by Krystyna Urbanellis

Krystyna Urbanellis is a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts, Warsaw, Poland. The artist says she draws her inspiration from nature. "It is not a matter of painting a place as it appears: I strive to capture the atmosphere of that place I depict in my landscapes the tension between light and shadows, the ever-changing colours of the sky and the mesmerizing beauty and cruelty of the earth."